Giovani Bernard said he had tears in his eyes during his game-winning 74-yard punt return with 13 seconds left Saturday

CHAPEL HILL – Is there anything Giovani Bernard can’t do?

You’d have a hard time convincing anyone who was at Kenan Stadium or watching Saturday’s game against N.C. State on television that there is. Especially his teammates on the North Carolina football team.

UNC coach Larry Fedora was fired up after his team broke a 5-game losing streak to rival N.C. State

It’s impressive enough that the sophomore running back rushed for 135 yards to add to his ACC-leading total. Or that he caught eight passes for a career-high 95 yards and finished the game with 304 all-purpose yards.

And the most remarkable thing about his performance is that he wasn’t even supposed to be on the field for his game-winning 74-yard punt return for a touchdown with 13 seconds left.

“He’s just one of those guys,” UNC coach Larry Fedora said. “He wants the ball in his hands. He wants the opportunity to make a play. Some people look at that and they get nervous. They get scared because everybody’s looking at me in that situation. Not him. That’s when he excels.”

Bernard

Bernard showed just how badly he wanted the ball in his hands with the game on the line after Fedora sent walkon wide receiver Roy Smith out to return Wil Baumann’s punt from the State 25.

It was a decision based on the ankle injury Bernard suffered earlier in the game. But the All-ACC back wasn’t ready to be a spectator when his team needed him most. So without asking permission, he waved Smith off the field and trotted out to replace him.

“I told my backup punt returner ‘Let me try to see what I can do with this one,’” Bernard recalled with a chuckle. “It was something that I had to dig deep in myself. My ankle was bothering me a little bit, but I had to tough it through.

“That’s the same call we had against Elon. That’s my favorite punt return. Once I saw that, I had to get in there.”

Bernard returned that kick against Elon 70 yards for a touchdown in the Tar Heels’ season opener. This one was much more memorable, not to mention important.

Catching the ball in front of his own bench at the 26, Bernard immediately set out across the field behind a convoy of dark blue jerseys and special chrome helmets. He got a big block from teammate Tre Boston, who took out two Wolfpack defenders, before Romar Morris pushed Baumann out of the way to open up a clear path to the end zone.

From there, it was just a matter of Bernard being able to see where he was going. And for the final few yards, that wasn’t easy.

“I started crying on the way to the end zone,” Bernard said.

He wasn’t the only one.

“Walking into the locker room after, I saw guys crying,” Bernard said. “It was different from last year and the years before where guys were crying tears of sadness. This year they were tears of joy. It was just an amazing feeling.”

Tony Creecy helped N.C. State build a 35-25 lead going into the fourth quarter

It’s a feeling that for the longest time Saturday, looked as if it would again belong to the Wolfpack.

Behind 467 passing yards and five touchdowns of quarterback Mike Glennon, State withstood an early UNC onslaught to score 28 straight points and take a 35-25 lead after three quarters. But that’s when the roles of what has – at least recently – been a one-sided rivalry suddenly reversed.

For the first time in five years, it was the Tar Heels that seemed to want it more and the Wolfpack that started playing not to lose. It was a transformation that ultimately decided the game after State coach Tom O’Brien’s unsuccessful attempt to run out the clock and force overtime allowed Bernard the chance to be a hero.

“Gio is just an amazing talent,” Boston said. “It’s great to have a guy like that on your team because you just never know when he’s going to score. He’s a home run hitter.”

But is there anything he can’t do on the football field?

“Honestly, right now, I don’t know if there is,” Boston said.

It’s doubtful anyone who was at Kenan Stadium on Saturday would disagree.

Gio is a freak of nature. I mean this in the very best sense; he does things on the football field others can only dream about. I’m 68 years old and have seen the Redskins win Super Bowls, Michael knock down a critical shot against Georgetown, Rosenbluth & the boys win back to back triple overtime games to win the ’57 NCAA championship and other unforgettable performances. Gio’s punt return is IMO in 1st place on that list.